Improvement in lighting gas by means of electricity



A. N. ALLEN. Improvement in Lighting Gas by means of Electricity, 8L0.

.N0.123,439., PatentedFeb.6,1872= 2/227256565? JZ HQZZI' Xflww 44 6 9 m. I Lmo v w l 4N- PHOTOi/THOGPAPNIL [0. N X/ 95017115 PROCESS UNITED STATES ALMON N. ALLEN, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIGHTING GAS BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY, Sic.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,439, dated February 6, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMON N. ALLEN, of Pittslield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic GasLighters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which drawing Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of my apparatus when the gas is shut 0d, the line a- .11, Fig. 2, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same in the plane y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is ver tical section of the same just at the moment the gas is let on. Fig. 4 is a similar section after the gas has been ignited.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of a liquid-displacing body secured to a flexible diaphragm stretched across a suitable chamher, which communicates with a gas-supply pipe, and in the bottom part of which is secured a cup containing mercury or other suitable liquid, said cup being made to connect with a gas burner by means of a pipe in such a manner that, when the gas is shut off from the diaphragm-chamber, the liquid-displacing body sinks down into the liquid contained in the cup, and thereby the mouth of the pipe leading to the burner is closed 5 but if gas is admitted to the diaphragm-chamber the liquiddisplacing body is lifted out of the cup, and the mouth of the pipe leading to the gas-burn er is uncovered. The cup containing the liquid seal also communicates through a suitable pipe or channel with a secondary burner, over which are placed two wires connecting with the opposite poles of a magneto-electric machine or of a galvanic battery, or other source of electricity, in such a manner that, when gas is admitted to the diaphragmchamber, the mouth of the pipe leading to the secondary burner is uncovered for a short time, and at the same time the magnetoelectric machine or other source of electricity is brought into activity, the gas issuing from the secondary burner is ignited, and, by the flame thus produced, the gas issuing from the main burner is also ignited 5 and, as soon as this object has been accomplished, the mouth of the pipeleading to the secondary burner is closed, and thereby the wires which connect with the poles of the source of electricity are taken out of the flame, while the gas issuing from the main burner continues to burn.

In the drawing, the letter A designates a chamber, by preference made spheroidal, said chamber being made in two halves, between which is stretched a flexible or elastic diaphragm, B. In the center of this diaphragm is secured a rod, 0, the bottom end of which connects with a bulb, D, of any desired form or shape, and, it the diaphragm is in the position shown in Fig.1, this bulb dips into a cup, E, secured in the bottom of the diaphragmchamber. This cup is divided by partitions a a in three compartments, 1) c d, and the compartments I) (l communicate with the central compartment 0 through small apertures e in the bottom parts of the partitions a a. From the middle compartment 0 of the cup extend two pipes, F (3;, one of which connects with the main burner H and the other with the secondary burner l, the mouth of the main burnerpipe F being situated above that of the secondary burner G, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and at. The diaphragm-chamber A communicates through openings 0 0 with the gas-supplypipe J. The rod (3, which carries the bulb D, extends through the top of the diaphragm-chamher and connects with alever, p, which carries a pawl, q, that engages with a ratchet-wheel, r. This ratchet-wheel is mounted loosely on a shaft, f, and it acts on a stop, g, which engages with the teeth of a cog-wheel, h, that is in gear with a spring-power, c'. This springpower also connects by suitable gear-wheels with the helix of a magneto-electric machine, j, the poles of which are in metallic connection with wires k L" extending over the secondary gas'burner I. If gas is admitted to the diaphragm-chamber the diaphragm rises, and the pawl q imparts to the ratchet-wheelr a partial revolving motion. By this motion the stop 9 is disengaged from the wheel h, the springpower is set free, and the magneto-electric machine is set in motion, thereby producing a spark over the tip of the secondary burner. The cup E is partially filled with mercury or other suitable liquid to such a depth that, when the bulb D is allowed to sink down to the position shown in Fig. 1, the liquid will cover both the apertures leading to the burner-pipes F G; but if gasis admitted to the diaphragmchamber the bulb rises to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and at the moment the bulb is lifted out of the cup E the liquid in the central compartment 0 of said cup sinks down to the level indicated in Fig. 3, and both the burner-pipcs F G are uncovered. The gas passes up to the burners H I, and since the magnetoelectric machine is started at the same time, the gas issuing from the secondary burners is ignited, and the flame thus created ignites the gas issuing from the main burn er. In the meantime the liquid contained ii the lateral compartments b d of the cup E passes through the apertures e 6 into the central compartment 0, and, when the level of the liquid in all the compartments has become uniform, the mouth of the pipe G leading to the secondary burner is sealed, (see Fig. 4,) while the mouth of the pipe F leading to the main burner remains open. The flame of the secondary burner consequently is extinguished after a few seconds and the battery-wires are taken out of the flame, while the flame of the main burner continues to burn.

By this arrangement I have produced a valve in which friction is almost entirely avoided; and, furthermore, the operation of my mechanism cannot be disturbed by the condensation of the gas, and the poles of the battery or magnetoelectric machine are exposed to the flame only for a few seconds each time the gas is ignited.

If desired, a condensing-cap may be applied to the secondary burner to bring the flame in contact with the gas issuing from the main burner.

It must be remarked that for the magnetoelectric machine a simple galvanic battery or a machine producing frictional electricity may be substituted; or a mechanism for exploding fuses may be used.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure the main burner, substantially as described.

Witnesses: ALMON N. ALLEN.

MYRON J. HoR'roN, F. M. HAYDEN. 

